Wall of Remembrance
by adena
Summary: During the miniseries Dee was trying to find out information on familay members and was told she had to put it on the walls. The pictures and mementoes were endless. This is set sometime when things settle down somewhat.


**Author's Note: This is dedicated to a very dear friend of mine who recently joined the angels. He showed patience when a very young recruit who was insubordinate, undisciplined and a loner who was assigned to his shop. He must have seen some redeeming qualities in this individual because he never gave up on me. And for that I will never forget him. The idea came from the miniseries where Dee posted her information on the corridor walls.**

**Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica belongs to those who legally have the rights. I did not receive any monetary gain. Just dreams. The name Sebastino is fictitious. **

**Spoiler: BSG Miniseries and SG1 - Meridian**

**Rating: G**

**Pairing: Adama/Kara friends**

**Wall of Remembrance**

**Part One**

**Commander Adama left CIC heading for the communications room. Normally the corridors were a constant traffic jam but not tonight everything was quiet. The only noise that could be heard was from the workings of Galactica. On his way he came upon what everyone had started calling the Wall of Remembrance for those that were lost and those who had not be found. There were pictures, letters, family mementos, medals, anything that brought back the memories and asking any information on loved ones. The only light was the soft illumination of burning candles and rumors had started that if you listen you could hear whispers. Adama didn't believe in ghosts but he could understand as to how it could have started for each memento there had to be a story. And as he walked around the corner he came upon a lone figure holding what looked like a medal and a picture in her hand. He recognized Kara.**

**Part Two**

**Kara left the com room and the news that she had received just added to the grief already in her life. Walking she wondered as to how much does a person endure before they break. Her eyes felt like fire but the tears did not come. Not yet there was something she had to do first. Running back to her locker Kara opened up a small box, removing a picture, a medal and headed back to the Wall. Looking at the picture Kara tilted her head back as the sense of loss was unbearable but she didn't cry. Gently she touched the picture placing it with the thousands of others and set her purple heart along with it whispering, "Tom, you're with your buddies now." Kara came to attention giving a last salute to a fallen hero. Kara didn't see the Commander in the shadows watching.**

**Kara had left in the opposite direction and Adama walked over to where she had stood. There on the wall was the recent medal and a picture of Kara standing with her classmates in Flight School. Standing along with them was a Captain who must have been their Flight Instructor. Adama recognized, at that time, Captain Adrian T. Sebastino and wondered. Kara didn't talk too much of her past and he never asked. He knew how Kara normally handled grief she would keep it bottled up inside until some sort of release would be found. And that would be through drinking, working out to much, or hitting someone, all detrimental.**

**Getting the communication dispatched Adama started looking for Kara. He was concerned she would do something stupid and placed back in the brig **

**Searching in her usual places he could not find her. He headed back to his quarters and wait for the explosion. As he entered Adama was surprised to see Kara fast asleep on his sofa. Smiling he gently placed a blanket over her. Kara and his son were the only two people who could enter his quarters without proper military protocol. But that was few and far between.**

**Going over to his desk Adama sat down and started to work on the paper work that had accumulated during the day. Just having her there brought restfulness to the chaos. And he knew that she had come there to talk and Kara Thrace normally wouldn't open up not even to him.**

**Part Three**

**Kara had headed for the Commanders quarters. When she arrived he wasn't there so being her usual self sat on his sofa and waited. The room was quiet and it wasn't long that she fell asleep. While she slept dreams and memories became as one guiding Kara to her past. All that had happened seemed to become the present and the image of a gentle man who had started her on the road of Viper pilot. And with that the tears flowed.**

**Adama noticed the tears, walked over to where she slept, gently placed a hand on her shoulder.**

"**Kara, wake up."**

"**Come on Kara wake up!"**

**She slowly came out of her dream world seeing the Commander standing off to the side and had to smile. A sad smile but a least it was something.**

"**Sir, scared that I would try to deck you?"**

"**Yes"**

"**Sir, I would never do that; it's like an intuition I know when you're around."**

"**Besides, that would definitely be a court martial offense."**

**Sitting up Kara leaned forward trying to erase the dream.**

**Adama smiled at her remark as he sat down next to her. **

"**Why are you here Kara?"**

**Seconds go by. And he sees the conflict in her face as she tries to decide what to do next. And the wall came down.**

**Part Four**

**Kara looked at Adama and knew whatever was spoken would remain here in his quarters.**

"**Sir" And the look she gets.**

"**Okay, Okay"**

"**Bill as you're well aware of I don't say much about my past other than the times I spent with Zak."**

"**Yes Kara I know trust doesn't come easy for you but I hope you have come to trust me."**

**Her gaze said it all.**

"**I won't go into detail about my childhood but it was real bad and it left a lot of anger inside."**

"**Believe it or not Bill when I entered flight school my attitude was worst than it is now."**

**Adama couldn't help chuckle at the remark. He had heard the stories from other pilots about some of her antics.**

**Kara smiled at his expression but continued.**

"**I'm surprised that I had been allowed to remain in school."**

"**But what I didn't realize there was a highly respected flight instructor who fought for me."**

"**That was Captain Adrian Sebastino."**

"**I was one of his students he must have seen something that was redeemable."**

"**I knew how far to go but wouldn't push it to the point of total insubordination,"**

"**He never lost his cool but he had a look that said I know you're better than this." **

"**He constantly worked with all of us demonstrating a leadership that I've only seen in one other person."**

**She looked at Adama.**

"**When we were at break or lunch I used to remain in the hangar and watch the technicians work on the aircraft knowing that one day I would be a Viper pilot."**

"**He would come over and we would talk about our love of flying and what it took to be a leader along with being a pilot."**

"**He always used proper military protocol when dealing with us. But one day he looked me in the eye and called me by my first name." **

"**Kara, you have a gift and that gift is flying but if you don't change your anger will eat you up inside." **

"**So the choice is yours right here, right now, as to your future. Do you want to fly or do you want to get yourself kicked out of flight school?" And with that he left.**

**Adama noticed her smile at that memory.**

"**After that I just watched him work with others. He never lost his patience but when he had to be strict he gave you looks that straighten you up immediately."**

"**I made a promise, believe me it was difficult to keep, that I would make it out of flight school without further incidents. As you can see I made it and that was because of Capt Sebastino."**

"**During graduation I told him that it had been a pleasure and honor to serve in his squadron."**

**Capt Sebastino looked at me and smiled.**

"**Starbuck the honor was mine."**

"**And that's how I got my call sign."**

**Part Five**

**Adama watched Kara as the story progressed and softness was in her face. He could tell that the Captain had meant a lot to her.**

**And now he had to ask.**

**Tenderness and concern was in voice.**

"**Kara what happened today?"**

**Kara drifting back to reality looked at Adama with such sadness that it brought back memories of Zak's death.**

"**Bill after graduation Tom and me kept in contact through the years."**

**Knowing what he was going to ask.**

"**Thomas was his middle name."**

"**As I said through the years we kept in contact with each other and when the Cylons attacked the colonies I had to find out."**

**Kara reached in her pants pocket and pulled out the message and handed it to Adama.**

**From: First Officer of Orion**

**To: Battlestar Group 75 – Galactica**

**Attn: Lieutenant Kara Thrace**

**As per your inquiry concerning Colonel Adrian T. Sebastino I regret that Col Sebastino died from injuries received during the Cylon attack on the colony of Picon. He was buried in space.**

**Kara got up and moved to the only window in the quarters and looked out into space. She could see the gas clouds of suns that no longer existed but the beauty remained. **

**Adama joined her at the window placed his hands on her shoulders turning her so that she had to look at him.**

**Tears were there but she did not cry.**

**Adama's voice was soft.**

"**Kara, let's go back to the wall."**

**As they walked through the corridors both were quiet each in their own thoughts.**

**When they got there the whole messed up world ceased to exist. The quiet brought peace to trouble souls.**

**Adama remembered the Colonel they had met during the first war and Kara had been right. He never lost his cool even under enemy fire and he was always there for the people under his command. He was intelligent and his squadron had been one of the highest decorated units in the colonies. Colonel Sebastino was a true leader. His squadron didn't put him on a pedestal he was accepted for what he was….a man.**

**Both Adama and Kara stood there looking at the wall. It stretched down the corridor on both sides.**

**Adama turned and looked at Kara and all the grief that he had kept inside, since the initial attack, shown on his face. Turning she knew what he was feeling and pulled him in her arms. She just held him, not saying anything at all. She respected this man and he was a friend as Tom had been. She would always be there for both Lee and him.**

**And Kara prayed that she would never have to place either of their pictures on this wall.**

**And as he pulled away from Kara he gently kissed her on the forehead.**

"**Thank you Kara for being here."**

"**And you were the one who needed comfort but instead you helped me."**

"**Thank you again Kara."**

**Kara smiled.**

"**Bill I think we both needed this and I know it's not over yet."**

"**There will be more sorrow before this war is over."**

"**But at least we will begin to heal."**

**As they were getting ready to leave the Wall of Remembrance a gentle breeze caress both of them. It wasn't cold but warm and comforting. And a whisper could be heard **

"**Well kids, I'll be watching over you."**

"**Your journey has only just begun."**

**Kara looked at Adama with wonderment.**

"**Bill did you hear and feel that?"**

"**Kara that was airflow."**

"**Bill none of the pictures moved and the candles didn't flicker."**

"**Kara there's a reasonable explanation for this."**

**Kara rolled her eyes.**

"**Adama men and their practicality."**

**The breeze caressed them once again before it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. This time Adama noticed indeed the pictures didn't move and the candles didn't flicker and this time he heard the whisper.**

**Kara leaned forward with that smile.**

"**You felt the breeze and heard the whisper didn't you?"**

**Adama couldn't lie to her.**

"**Yes."**

"**Kara?"**

"**I heard that before."**

**And they both said it at the same time.**

"**Flight School Graduation."**

"**Bill, he used to say that to his graduation class."**

**They looked at each other and realized what was said about the whispers at the Wall of Remembrance was true. Two friends hugged once again, then going their separate ways to whatever the future may hold.**

**Fin**


End file.
